Save Article

Mistakes? Time for 1040X

With all the tax-law changes that Congress has made in recent years, it's remarkably easy to make major mistakes on your return. If you've just filed and discovered a few errors, don't panic.

Just file what's known as an "amended" return. Use Form 1040X, which is available on the Internal Revenue Service Web site (irs.gov). It's "easier than you think," says Bob D. Scharin, RIA senior tax analyst at Thomson Tax & Accounting. Be sure to file a separate form for each year you're correcting. Also don't...